Partners
by NO LONGER CONTAGiOUS
Summary: Zuko generally doesn't get what he wants.  Like, ever. But when he gets stuck with the icy haired, icy souled, sometimes, girl in his class for history partners all year, he'll realize sometimes, what you want isn't always what you need. ZukoxOC plus Toko
1. Partners

A/N –NEW STORY! I will still be updating UltraViolet, never fear. Also, I want to say, REVEIW PEOPLE! Jeez, would it kill you? Also, also, I keep seeing people from places like, everywhere reading my stories, and its sooooo cool! So, if you are from somewhere that's not America (I do have mostly Americans reading, so you can also review) REVEIW, and when you do, tell me what country or city you're from, so I can be mystified by the sheer awesomeness of… well, YOU!

Now, actually about the story, I really this is the first ZukoxOC story, I' thinking of doing a sequel to this, which I cannot wait to do. This is probably why this one may seem a little rushed. Sorry about that. But please review if you like the characters or not, if you think it's a little too OOC, or anything like that!

Also, also, _also_, there is quite a bit of Toko romancy-friendshipy stuff. Just saying, you're forewarned. If you like Toko, than it's not really a warning :)

Partners

Zuko deftly picked at the over-cooked and under-seasoned chicken he was supposed to eat and frowned. He didn't really care about much these days. He never paid much attention at school normally, since he knew most things teachers tried to teach him.

A loud clap on the back sprung him out of his trance.

"What?" he growled glaring at Sokka, the slapper.

"Katara asked if you wanted to come with us today."

"Where?" Zuko asked.

"Do you ever listen," Toph giggled, leaning back nonchalantly.

He lightly kicked his best friend under the table.

She returned the kick, harder. Much harder.

He glared at her.

"We'll probably go to a park or something," Sokka continued.

The bell rang and everyone picked up their lunch trays up, and walked to the garbage cans and the table to put the trays. Toph handed Zuko her tray and he obediently took it from her.

"Why would I want to go to the park?"

"Uhm, because your friends will be there!" Katara said...

Zuko rolled his eyes and threw out his uneaten chicken and Toph's half eaten salad.

"You really shouldn't be so broody all the time," Katara said,

He ignored that and began to walk to his next class for the day, History.

As he reached for the doorknob, the door flew open and a girl a little shorter than Zuko had flung it open. She had ice-blonde hair and skins just a few shades darker than Sokka and Katara's. She had freckles around her nose. She was wearing an oversized one sleeve sweatshirt and short black jean shorts, despite the weather.

"Take a picture," she growled, "It'll last longer."

Zuko stopped staring at her and begun to glare at her.

"You're in my way," she growled, shoving him out of the way.

Zuko was stunned for all of a nanosecond, before he and then he grabbed her wrist and yanked her back.

"What the hell are you doing?" she screeched.

"Maybe you should watch who you're talking to," Zuko spat. I

The door to the history classroom opened again. The teacher Mr. Crow stepped out.

"Ah! Zuko, Ida, do you two know each other?" Mr. Crow asked, excitedly.

"No—" Zuko said.

"Good! You two can be History partners for this new thing I'm trying for the entire year!"

"WHAT?" she screeched.

"Now come on in, you'll be late for class!"

The girl ripped her hand from Zuko's grip and said, "It's pronounced E-da!"

They both followed the teacher into class.

Zuko took a seat in the back, but Ida took her seat way up in the front.

"So class, as I was saying, this year we will have history partners for the year! Each of the four projects you will do this year will do this year will be a group project, and the two overnight trips we will go on, you'll be with your partners."

"Kill me now," Zuko groaned, thumping his head on the desk and ignoring the rest of the class.

"Whoa, Zuko, you're actually coming today?" Sokka said merrily.

"Shut up Sokka," Zuko said, still angry about his horrible luck in History Class.

"Calm down, Zuko," Katara said in her usual mothering tone.

"Why are we going to the park?" Zuko asked, "Its November!"

Toph slipped her tiny hand into Zuko's much larger one. "Just shut up and come. "

Zuko smiled at his younger companion and walked with their odd friends to the park.

When they arrived at the park, Aang excitedly announced that he was off to the playground to go on the swings. Katara offered to go with him, and Sokka did too.

"So, it's just you and me, Sparky," Toph said.

Zuko led her over to a bench and they sat while their friends sung. They were sitting just outside of the low gate to the children's playground. The two friends sat on the bench together and didn't say anything. They didn't really have to. Toph inched closer and closer to Zuko until the point where he had to look at her and say, "What the hell are you doing?"

She punched him in the arm.

"It's effing cold out there!"

"Oh," he laughed. He put his arm out for Toph to scoot to his side, but she went right up onto his lap. "That's not what I meant," he said, smiling.

"Who cares what you meant?" she grinned, sticking her head under his jacket. "Why are you always so warm, Sparky?"

He shrugged and wrapped his arms around his best friend.

"Hey guys," Aang said, hopping over the fence that divided the fence.

"Hey," Zuko said, shushing everyone. "I think Toph's sleeping."

"I'm not," she said, coming out of Zuko's jacket.

"Why were you holding her like that?" Katara asked, narrowing her eyes at him like he was some kind of pervert.

"I was cold, Sugar Queen," calm down," Toph said, standing.

"Where's Sokka?" Toph asked.

"Talking to some girl over there," Katara said, hoisting her bag further up her shoulder. "I swear you two are secretly dating."

Toph punched her in the arm, "Oh shut up!"

Sokka walked up to everyone, with a girl at her side.

"Hey guys, this is—" Sokka began to introduce her.

"My, my, my," she groaned, "a girl can run, but she sure can't hide."

Sokka looked at her, "You know him?"

"Yeah, he's my history partner for the year," she said, then turned to everyone. "Hi."

"Wow," Katara said, "You look just like Yue!"

"Who?"

"Never mind!" Sokka said.

"I'm hungry," Toph whined.

"Let's _all _go out to eat!" Sokka said exuberantly. "Do you want to come too, Ida?"

She shook her head, "I can't, sorry. I'm helping my friend babysit for the night. But thanks! I guess I should be going back now, so, I'll see you later!"

"Bye," everyone but Zuko said.

Ida ran off.

"Next time," Katara said, "You can try to be even a little bit ruder! That would be awesome!"

He glared at Katara. "She's crazy, why should I be nice?"

"You'd better shut up—" Sokka began to threaten.

"Can we please go out and eat now?"


	2. Cleopatra

A/N- Okay, first off, I forgot to put a disclaimer in the first chapter, so the one after the A/N will be for both, I guess.

Also, here's where the T rating comes in; there's some language in this chapter. Well, obviously, there's language, it's called English; but seriously, there's cursing in this chapter.

And, just something slightly interesting; this story first wasn't going to be an AU and Aang and everyone else in the gAang (save Zuko) we travelling, they found other Airbenders (Ida was going to be one just living in the Fire Nation) and when Aang was telling Zuko, Toph said;

"Yup Zuko, there were Air benders there, let's hope this time you and your people don't brutally murder these ones!"

I love Toph.

Disclaimer: I don't own A: TLA. Obvi.

-Cleopatra-

The next day at school, Zuko had History first period and second period.

"So!" Mr. Crow said, "I want everyone to go and sit with their partners today!"

Everyone got up and scattered.

"Today, I want everyone to go to page 342 of their textbooks. Cleopatra! I want you and your partner to make a mini, three page report about any Cleopatra related topic, _and _a poster board or PowerPoint to accompany the report. The mini project is due on Friday. You pretty much have complete creative liberty, but you do have to follow the writing style and…"

Both Ida and Zuko stopped listening and caring right around there. Once the teacher stopped talking, and everyone was talking incredibly loudly to their friends and partners. Ida pulled a notebook out of her bag and begun to write. She ripped out the page she was writing on and threw it on Zuko.

Zuko glared at her.

Read it! she mouthed.

_Can we work on this after school? I'm not going to be here for the rest of the week._

_I guess_, Zuko mouthed in response.

She smiled.

"Why are we passing notes and mouthing?" Zuko frowned.

"What?" she said over the din.

_Never mind_, he mouthed back.

Ida handed another note to Zuko.

_Can we go to yours? The people at mine are, like, sociopathic._

Zuko coldheartedly laughed at the note. He wanted to write back; _the people at mine are psychotic! The only time I feel okay is when I'm away from them, like at Uncle Iroh's. _

But instead, Zuko wrote;

_Sure._

She gave him a thumbs-up and a smile and began to read the chapter.

By the end of the second period, Zuko was exhausted. Ida must have yelled at him at least 100 times for reading too slowly. He only read so slowly, because he didn't care about Cleopatra. It didn't really affect his, modern day, 21st century life, to know about Cleopatra's love life. All Zuko wanted to do was go home and—oh, no. Ida was coming over today to do more work. He sighed; he didn't want to do more work. He didn't want to do anything at all! He just wanted to exile himself from everything. Everyone.

"So, do you want to hang out again afterschool?" Katara asked at lunch.

"I can't," Zuko said truthfully. "After school Ida's coming over—"

"Ida?" Sokka asked, "My Ida?"

Zuko rolled his eyes, "Yeah, we're going to work on a project."

Sokka still had a sour look on his face as he continued to eat his lunch.

"Well, that's kind of a bummer, but when you think about it," Toph said, "At least Zuko's getting some!"

The rest of the slightly prudish gAang dropped their forks and choked on their food.

"Why would you say that?" Zuko coughed.

"Toph!" Katara screamed appalled.

"No one's getting anything," Zuko muttered, "That girl is crazy."

"You are the in house expert on the subject," a defensive Sokka said.

"How long's she going to be there?" Toph asked. "I may swing over—"

"Probably not until after eight and its going to be dark, and you know your parents don't like you going out after dark—"

"Dark, light," she said, "it's no difference to me."

"It's not about you," Zuko growled. "It's about someone trying to grab you in the night—"

"You don't think I could take on some pedophile?" she laughed, flexing her muscles.

"I agree with Zuko," Katara said.

"You would," Toph muttered.

"But anyway, I wouldn't feel right about letting you go out by yourself so late."

"First," Toph said, "This isn't about how you feel. And secondly, you don't even live far—" she moaned.

"So?" he said, "I'll come by after she leaves."

"Dude," I can walk four blocks by myself. It's no big deal."

"Toph, I'm not going to let you do that!"

She stood up and punched him in the back and stormed out of the cafeteria.

He looked over to everyone, "What the hell did I do?"

"I'll go and talk to her," Katara said, rushing out after Toph.

"I think you made her feel bad," Aang said," You know because she's blind, like she can't do anything."

"That's not what I meant!" he said. "I meant because she's little, you know?"

Aang shrugged. "I would go and talk to her.

Zuko nodded and stood. He pulled out his phone and texted; **Where is she? **to Katara.

**Girl's bathroom. **she texted a second later.

Zuko groaned out of frustrastion and sent; **can you bring her out here please?**

**Yeah **was her reply.

A minute later, a red-eyed Toph as standing in front of him. Katara was behind her, and then walked back to the lunchroom, to tell the other two boys what happened.

Toph just stood there and frowned.

"Are you going to tell me what I did wrong?" he asked.

Toph just glared.

He took a step closer and she took one back.

After doing that little dance a few more times, he just grabbed her hand. She tried to wriggle out of his grip, but to no avail.

"You just make me feel like shit sometimes," she growled when he finally got her to speak, "treating me like I'm three years old just because I'm blind."

"Me?" he asked.

"Not _just _you, everyone. It's really stupid, seeing as how I can "see" better than some of the kids here."

"I know," Zuko said, squeezing her hand. "I'm sorry."

She shrugged, "But if you ever do anything like that again, I'll castrate you."

They both smiled.

Zuko wasn't surprised when she put her strong little arms around his waist. He hugged her back. He leaned down and touched his face to the top of her head. He, however, was surprised when she leaned up and kissed him. It wasn't like it was the first time they had kissed; they _have _been friends for a long time. They had kissed quite a few times, actually. They were very similar people, Toph and Zuko, generally shunned or put down for their deformities and other such reasons. But they always figured they would have each other.

Zuko put a strong hand on her cheek and another to get tangled in her hair and Toph kept hers firmly on his shoulders. After a few more kisses, Zuko turned his head. Toph dropped her hands and so did Zuko.

"I'll see you later," she said quietly, walking away.

He nodded, even though she couldn't see him and he walked into his locker.


	3. Workin'

-Workin'-

"Come on," Zuko said, grabbing Ida, from her group of friends, from the wrist. "Time to go."

"Hey!" She yelled, trying to dig her heels down into the linoleum, but (obviously) there were no grips.

"Agni! Can you please let go?" she growled, trying to pry her wrist from Zuko's death grip.

She fell when he let go, right on her butt.

"Ow!" she groaned.

"Are we walking?" she asked when she finally got up.

Zuko nodded.

"Is it far?"

Zuko nodded. Again.

"You know, people with 'common courtesy' would have lied right then."

Zuko shrugged.

"Don't you want to talk?" she whined.

"You _really _don't want to listen to me talk."

She grinned, "I was you making out with your girlfriend today!"

He froze, "She's not my girlfriend." He resumed walking.

"Well, whoever, but still," she grinned, "She was kinda cute."

He turned back to her and glared.

"Okay, okay I'm done! Agni, it's called having a conversation, you should try engaging in one every once in a while."

He just glared again.

Seriously," she growled, "you are so boring."

"I really didn't ask your opinion," he replied.

She rolled her eyes.

"We're here," Zuko said, opening the large gate.

"Wow, nice house," she said, sounding insincere.

Zuko looked back at her, "Most girls generally begin to fall all over themselves by now."

She shrugged, "I'm not most girls."

He turned back to look at her, not _quite _glaring.

"What?" she asked defensively.

There was a large garden with black and red flowers. Ida didn't even know black flowers existed. The estate itself was amazingly large and the "house" he lived in was practically a mansion. It had a lot of columns and everything was either cream or white.

"Nothing," he shook his head.

They walked inside and didn't stop to do or say anything. Zuko led her upstairs to his room.

"Should I take my shoes off?" Ida asked.

"Huh? Yeah, I guess, you can put them in there," Zuko said, indicating a spot in the corner.

"Okay," she said, she sat in the floor and begun to work on the ribbon laced up her leg from her ballet flats (which had heels, so they were kind of like ballet-flat-heels).

Zuko watched her waste time. "You're taking forever!"

"I'm sorry, jeez! I tied some really hard knots!" she whined.

Zuko sighed and sat next to her on the floor. He put the leg she wasn't working on, on his lap. He began to help her. She stopped and gawked at him.

"Hurry up," he said, now finished, and taking her shoe off for her.

She finished the last knot and took her shoe off.

"Okay!" she said, stretching her arms way above her head. Her shirt rode up a little bit and Zuko saw a small purple-ish spot on her stomach. She pulled her shirt down when she caught him staring and said, "Let's get cracking!"

After about six hours, they stopped working.

"It's late," she yawned, stretching out from her position on the floor.

"Well," he said, "The posters done—"

"Thanks to me!" she grinned.

"–And I only have about a paragraph left, so you can go home if you'd like."

"Shockingly," she said, "We work pretty well together, Zuuks!"

He raised an eyebrow, "Zuuks?"

"Yuppers!" she said.

"Why aren't you going to be at school tomorrow?" Zuko asked, yawing too.

"Oh, I have therapy," she said smiling.

"Therapy?" he asked.

"Yup! And then court on Friday."

"Court?" he asked.

"Mmhm, which, I think is really stupid that I have therapy _before _court. Stupid, huh?"

It was silent for a minute, while Zuko and Ida just stared at each other.

"Uhm, okay," she said, "Yeah, I'm going to go home now. Or at least; after I get my demon shoes on."

She sat down on the floor again and put her shoes on, not really caring about how well the ribbon was tied.

"Okay, I'll see you Monday then," she said, pulling her bag up on her shoulder.

"Aren't you going to be cold?" Zuko asked. "It's November; don't you think you might freeze?"

She shrugged, "Beauty over pain."

He rolled his eyes, "Do you want a sweater?"

"Uhm… sure," she said.

He pulled out an old sweater and handed it to her. It was maroon with the logo for the enterprise 'Fire Nation'.

"Your dad owns that right?"

Zuko nodded.

She took the pullover sweater and shrugged it on.

"It's so soft and worn!" she gushed.

He frowned, "Do you live far?"

"No—and hey! You lied! This isn't far from school at all!"

He let a small smile play over his lips, "Do you want me to walk you? It _is _kind of late."

"Uhm, if you want," she said, heading for the door. He put on a jacket and left with her, getting his shoes by the door.

"So," she begun, "why didn't you ask me _why _I'm going to therapy?

He shrugged, "It's not my business."

"But aren't you just kiiiiinda curious," she said slyly.

He shrugged.

"You're no fun," she said, making her own conversation, "How can I tease you if you don't want anything?"

He just shrugged again.

"Well," she said, "Since we're going to be stuck with each other all year, I guess you should know something about me, and, of course, visa versa."

Zuko shrugged.

"Ugh! Your lack of enthusiasm nauseates me!" she groaned.

They walked the last block in silence.

"This is me," she said quietly.

Her house was _bigger _than Zuko's. It was blue and white and _this _garden was full of flowers of all kind.

Zuko laughed, "What do your parents do?"

She smiled but had an unmistakable twinge of sadness in her eyes. Unmistakable, unless you weren't looking at her, in the exact same way Zuko was. Or _wasn't. _She laughed too, "You don't want to know."

"Well, goodnight!" she said, opening the gate with her key.

"'Night," Zuko said, waving his hand.

He had begun to walk back to his house when someone _jumped _onto his back. He swung at the person after they jumped off his back.

"Calm down Princess!  
Toph said, dodging his swing with her years of expertise.

Zuko pushed her, "Toph you _cannot_ do that to people, you psycho!"

"Hey!" she said, laughing, "I take personal offense to that! You are not allowed to call me Azula!"

He laughed loudly and slung his arm around her small shoulder.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

"I told you I was coming; my house is the next block over."

"Oh yeah," he said, "But isn't it late? You should go home now Toph."

"Eh, I'm already out."

"Seriously Toph," he said, removing his arm, "You ought to go home. Did you even tell your parents?"

She actually laughed, "You clearly don't know me at all."

"Seriously," he said again, turning to her house, "How about I hang at your house for a bit?"

"Don't bother," she said, "I'll see you at school tomorrow, Sparky, okay?"

"Please, don't be mad at me," Zuko pleaded.

"Whatever," she said.

"You say that all the time, can't I get a straight answer out of you every once in a while?"

"Oh, sure, how about I'll be as mad at you as much as I fucking want to be, Princess."

He sighed,

"Bye, Zuko," she said, turning around and beginning to walk away.

"No! I'm coming with you!"

"Go home, Princess!"

He stood next to her and took her hand. She ripped her hand from his grip and began to run. He followed her until they got to her house, and when he slammed her door shut, he knew it was okay to stop following her.

He began to walk back to his house.


	4. Lunch

Really short chapter, just kind of a filler though.

-Lunch-

"Hey" Zuko said, walking up to Aang, Katara and Sokka.

"Oh hi, Zuko," Katara said.

"Hey man," Aang said.

"Hi, have you seen Ida?" Sokka asked.

"Oh, she's not coming in today or tomorrow."

Sokka half glared at Zuko.

"What's in the bag?" Aang asked.

"Oh, it's our project, we did it, last night, Ida and I. We had to finish it yesterday since she's not going to be here."

"Cool…" Katara dragged out.

Aang looked up from his watch, "Time for class."

They all went inside and to their respective classes.

"Where's Toph?" Zuko asked at lunch.

Katara shrugged, "You know her friend Lee—"

'The one that's, like, in love with her," Sokka added.

"—She's been hanging out with him a lot."

Zuko was livid, he stood up, "I'm going to go find her… And kill Lee."

"Why?" Sokka asked, "Leave her alone, if she wanted to be here, then she would be. Just because you're jealous, doesn't mean you have the right to—"

"Jealous?" he growled, "Please."

"It's a little more than apparent that you are," Aang said, nonchalantly, not even looking at him.

Zuko didn't reply.

Sokka smiled, adding 'Toph' to his list of 'Zuko's Buttons.'

"Did you hand in your project?" Motherly Katara asked, tugging him down to where he as sitting.

"Yeah," Zuko said.

"You'll probably get extra-credit for handing it in so early," she mused.

Aang was getting fed up with everyone's melancholic and boring conversations and voices. But, of course, he said nothing.

They were all quiet, no doubt thinking of what Toph was doing, and then, it hit Zuko like a ton of bricks. He knew why Toph wasn't at lunch with them, or in the cafeteria at all; she couldn't have been hungry, since she had eaten his heart for lunch.

A/N-

Okay, here's the deal, frankly, my school is a homework giving bitch, so I couldn't update, even though all I needed to do was type it (since, like, 8 chapters have been done since August).

But you know the drill, (or maybe you don't, since you people never do) review please.

Also, don't blame me; blame my Life Science teacher, who assigns a project every week.


End file.
